Blackwell Named Director of Residence Life and Housing

The University of Southern Mississippi has named Dr. Scott Blackwell director of its Department of Residence Life. He assumes the position today, overseeing all aspects of the residential facilities operation as well as initiatives to enhance the student residential experience.

Blackwell comes to Southern Miss from Oklahoma State University where he served as assistant director for Housing and Residential Life, administering a campus housing program and implementing an emergency response and crisis management system. His credentials include 16 years of student affairs experience in a variety of capacities.

“I am excited about joining such a good team of campus housing professionals and honored to serve as the new director at Southern Miss,” said Blackwell.

“The college experience is made more special by residing on campus with other students and being a part of a community. My own campus housing experiences were very enjoyable and rewarding, and I will work to keep students in the forefront and make the Southern Miss campus housing experience both meaningful and supportive of academic excellence at the university.”

“We are delighted that Dr. Scott Blackwell has accepted the call to this critical position of leadership at Southern Miss,” said Dr. Joe Paul, vice president for Student Affairs. “He is exceedingly bright, hard working and experienced. We look forward to his leadership in taking Residence Life to even greater heights.”

Blackwell is a two-time graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned a master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education and a doctorate in Educational Administration and Human Resources Development. He and his wife Cindy are the parents of twin boys: Ethan and Stuart, 10 years old.